1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cup lid structure, and more particularly to a beverage cup lid having a tab that when swiveled forward and downward at 270° exposes a sipping hole of the lid.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional cups used by food restaurants, coffee shops, convenience stores, etc. for containing hot beverages like hot coffee, hot cocoa, hot milk tea and the like have a corresponding cup lid. The cup lid normally has a perforated portion at one end thereof. In drinking the hot beverage within the cup, the perforated portion must be swiveled or ripped off. However, the swiveled perforated portion can be polluted by the dust in the air. Meanwhile, the removed perforated portion like a ring fastener of a pop-top can will more or less contaminate our environment. To buy a hot beverage and sip it in a car is often seen in the modern life. However, the beverage contained within the above-mentioned beverage cup can be sprayed everywhere in the car in case of an emergency stop or a sudden jolt. This may annoy the drinker very much.
As a result, a perforated portion after being swiveled still remains on the cup lid is disclosed by, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,373, titled “CUP COVER HAVING OPENING MEANS”. According thereto, a cover 10 has a hinged tab 11 defined by score lines which is re-closable.
As shown in FIG. 2, U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,609 discloses a cup lid 20 having a tab 21. After pulling the tab 21 upward, a protrusion 22 is engaged into a cavity 23 on the top of the cup lid 20.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,397 teaches a cup lid 30 having a pull portion 31 that when pulled up is attached to the cup lid 30. A protrusion 32 atop the pull portion 31 can be engaged in an opposite direction into a cavity 33 in place.
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,456 teaches a cup lid 40 having a lift type sipping portion 41. Unlike the previous disclosures, the sipping portion 41 includes a raised member 42. In exposing the hole, the lip compresses the raised member 42 downward such that it is removed from the sipping portion 41. Thereafter, it can be pulled backward to be fixed within a cavity 43.
Such structure includes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,839,601, 4,949,865, 5,090,584, 5,699,927, 5,335,812 and 5,183,172. The pull portion for exposing the sipping hole is designed in such a manner that it is pulled upward then fixed in place at a back side. However, it is impractical for the finger to complete the above-mentioned action. In exposing the sipping hole, the beverage can be spattered on users by accident. Moreover, the lip can be scalded by the high temperature of the sipping portion in sipping the hot beverage like hot coffee since the one-layered structure is good for heat conduction. In addition, the pull portion is moved backward to be fixed at the center of the cup lid. Thus, it is easy for the nose in contact to the pull portion. Accordingly, the conventional lid cup requires further improvements.